Blackguard
Blackguard is a prestige class in NWN2. Blackguard Description: The blackguard epitomizes evil. Consorting with demons and devils and serving dark deities, the blackguard is hated and feared by all. The blackguard has many options available to them -- sending forth dark minions and servants to do their bidding, attacking with stealth and honorless guile, or straightforward smiting of the forces of good that stand in their way. Therefore, almost any class is suited to take the blackguard prestige class. Requirements Alignment: Any evil. * Unlike Paladins, a Blackguard retains their dark powers should their alignment move to neutral or good, although they may no longer progress in this class unless they become evil once more. Base attack bonus: +6 Skills: Hide 5 ranks Feats: Cleave, Power attack Class feature progression Additional progressions Use Poison A blackguard can safely Poison his/her melee weapon without the need to make a dexterity check. Smite good Once a day, a blackguard of 2nd level or higher may attempt to smite a good-aligned enemy with one normal melee attack. The blackguard adds their Charisma bonus to the attack roll and adds 1 extra point of damage per class level. Dark blessing At 2nd level, the blackguard applies their Charisma modifier to all saving throws. Aura of despair Beginning at 3rd level, the blackguard radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of them to take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. Turn undead When a blackguard reaches 3rd level, he gains the supernatural ability to turn undead. He may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + his Charisma modifier. He turns undead as a cleric of two levels lower would. Create undead This is not to be confused with the regular create undead spell. Summon fiend At 5th level, the blackguard can summon a fiendish animal servant (a dire rat). Sneak attack At 4th level, the blackguard gains the sneak attack ability. This ability functions exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The bonus damage is +1d6 at 4th level, +2d6 at 7th level, and +3d6 at 10th level. Spells At 2nd level, the blackguard gains the ability to cast bull's strength once per day. At 6th level, they may also cast inflict serious wounds once per day. At 7th level, the blackguard gains the ability to cast contagion once per day, and at 8th level, they may cast inflict critical wounds once per day. *Inflict Serious Wounds and Inflict Critical Wounds are abilities for the Blackguard, so they add Blackguard level as bonus damage (to replace caster level they do not have) NWN comparison *This class was introduced in the Shadows of Undrentide NWN expansion. *'Blackguards' didn't receive the aura of despair in NWN. *NWN did not have any features related to a paladin becoming a blackguard. However, paladins in NWN did not lose their class abilities if they strayed from their restrictions either. *The discipline skill that was created for NWN was removed in NWN2 and combat feats relating to it now function closer to 3.5 rules. DnD 3.5 comparison *The parry skill was created by NWN and is not a feature of DnD 3.5. It has returned in NWN2 for the same reasons it was in NWN. *'Blackguard' in DnD 3.5 are proper spellcasters, with a spell list and associated rules, instead of limited to the handful of pre-chosen spells of NWN and NWN2. *'Ex-Paladins' in DnD 3.5 gained additional benefits based on their Paladin levels, and an ex-Paladin with 11 or more levels prior to becoming a Blackguard was allowed to "trade-in" levels of Paladin for levels of Blackguard. External resources *NWNWiki:Blackguard *DnD 3.5 Blackguard Category:Prestige classes Category:Combat classes